Relaxed date

Charlize tugged at her red dress for the fourth time and complained about Tyra's terrible idea. Charlize had originally planned to wear a t-shirt and jeans, which was the simplest and most comfortable option. However, Tyra insisted, "The first date can't be too grand, but it can't be too simple either, otherwise it's rude." In addition, the dinner venue chosen by Hugo today was the Pacific Dining Car, which was not a luxurious Western restaurant. So in the end, Charlize chose this red dress.

The close-fitting cut accentuated Charlize's figure advantages without any cumbersome design, and paired with a black knee-length windbreaker, it showcased her long legs and arms perfectly. Although she was only seventeen years old this year, her entire person's temperament easily made her stand out.

However, the worst thing about this outfit was that it wasn't warm enough. Although the temperature in Los Angeles was not low, it was not enough to withstand the sea breeze after sunset. Charlize couldn't help but shiver several times. Beauty really does come at a price. But the problem was that Charlize didn't know if today's meeting with Hugo counted as a date. If she was too grand and Hugo turned out to be wearing jeans, then that would be a real embarrassment.

Standing in front of the Pacific Dining Car, Charlize increasingly felt that Tyra's idea was terrible.

The Pacific Dining Car opened in 1921 and was the pioneer of Los Angeles-themed restaurants. The exterior was a train dining car, which was old but retro, and clearly showed the development history of Los Angeles. Such a restaurant was full of historical charm, but she wore a dress, "It's really foolish!" Charlize muttered lowly.

But now she couldn't go back to change clothes, so Charlize had to hold her head high and muster up the courage to walk into the restaurant. The admiring glances from passersby helped her regain a little confidence. However, when she entered the restaurant and saw the surprised looks of a few customers at the door, Charlize suddenly felt a little nervous. She comforted herself inwardly, "Confidence, stick to yourself," then steadied her slightly shaky steps and walked to the front desk, "Hugo Lancaster's reservation."

The waiter immediately put on a polite smile, "Mr. Lancaster is already waiting for you."

Charlize followed the waiter inside. Compared to the relatively outdated exterior, the interior was filled with the elegant style of the 1930s, with walls painted in light green and dark red, navy blue wicker chairs, and occasional dark green floral lampshades and chair covers, subtly luxurious yet tasteful. The restaurant played elegant jazz music, and Charlize felt as if she had traveled back in time to Hollywood's golden age. Even her high heels seemed to tread lightly, tapping along with the jazz rhythm, and time seemed to slide gently over her skin.

In this context, Charlize's attire did not appear too conspicuous, except for the 80s-style oversized shoulder pads on her coat, which were somewhat out of place. She looked as if she had blended perfectly with the restaurant's atmosphere.

From a distance, Charlize saw Hugo stand up from his seat. Today, he was wearing a formal suit with a pearl-white shirt paired with a deep black suit. However, Hugo did not wear a tie or bow tie, just neatly buttoned up his shirt, which made him look formal yet not stiff, and added some casualness to his rigor. This contrast highlighted Hugo's gentle and refined temperament, like a top-notch gem that emitted a faint light under the yellow light of the restaurant.

Charlie walked over to the dining table, and just as the waiter was about to pull out her chair, Hugo walked over and stopped him. He then personally pulled out the chair for her. Charlie took off her coat and handed it to the waiter, then smiled at Hugo to express her gratitude before sitting down.

Hugo returned to his seat with a faint smile on his lips. "You look beautiful today," he said.

Charlize looked up and saw that there was no special emotion in Hugo's pure eyes, just a simple compliment. This made all her complaints disappear without a sound from the bottom of her heart, and her smile was filled with joy. "Thank you. You look different tonight from usual, and this makes you even more charming."

The first time Charlize met Hugo, her biggest impression was sunshine, to be precise like the sunshine at 11 am or 3 pm, bright but not scorching. But today's Hugo was more gentlemanly and gentle. Still sunshine, but more like the sunshine at 9 am or 5 pm, lazily radiating and heartwarming.

"That's a good thing, at least it proves that I didn't waste half an hour in front of the mirror." Hugo's words made Charlize's smile bloom completely.

"I won't tell you how much time I spent in front of the mirror, but your compliment certainly relieved me." Charlize said honestly. "You know, this dress will limit my dining skills tonight." This candid statement almost made Hugo burst out laughing. Although he held back his laughter, the glee in his eyes was obvious.

After the two finished ordering, Hugo continued, "The reason I invited you out today is actually for two things. The first is that I got a job, an important supporting role..."

Before Hugo could finish, Charlize interrupted with a "Congratulations!" cutting him off. Then she continued, "So that's why you wanted to treat me today?"

Hugo couldn't help but smile at that, "That's part of it, but more importantly, I wanted to share my joy with a friend."

"Friend," Charlize chewed on the word meaningfully, "You must have more than just me as a friend in Los Angeles, right?" They had only met once, so it didn't make sense for Hugo to choose her to celebrate with if he had other friends.

Hugo shrugged, smiling, "You know, men always need a reason."

Charlize laughed lightly, "I thought you didn't need one."

"Do you really think that?" Hugo raised an eyebrow.

Charlize suddenly felt a bit uneasy, "Then I guess I'll have to eat a lot tonight." She used a playful tone to break the tension, "Damn it, you should have warned me beforehand. This dress isn't suitable for pigging out."

"Don't worry, I don't mind," Hugo reassured her, but Charlize responded with a skeptical eye roll that made Hugo burst into laughter. "The second thing is the real point. Do you remember that agent named Karl El from last time?"

"Of course," Charlize answered briskly. After speaking, she blinked her eyes and revealed a sly smile. "That's the important reason you want my phone number, isn't it?"

Hugo shrugged. "It seems like my charm isn't enough. You only remember this business matter. But in any case, I got your phone number, didn't I?" With those words, Charlize became helpless. Hugo continued, "Here's the thing, I verified the information of that agent and it's accurate. I even spoke with him on the phone."

"He's a decent agent. If you're interested in becoming an actress, you can contact him." Hugo briefly explained Karl's information and concluded, "Actually, I considered introducing you to my agent as well, who is also a very sincere young man. But his capabilities are limited now, even if he signed you, it would be difficult for him to arrange time and resources to help you. Therefore, Karl would be a good choice."

After hearing Hugo's detailed explanation, Charlize nodded involuntarily. Regardless of whether Hugo really wanted her phone number at first, at least he investigated Karl thoroughly and gave her some simple advice. "Phew, you've done me a big favor. Thank you."

Seeing Charlize's slightly exaggerated smile, Hugo couldn't help but grin. He knew that Charlize was just being polite, but he didn't want her to see his expression, so he restrained his smile and said, "I'm serious." This surprised Charlize, "In fact, shortly after I arrived in Los Angeles, an agent gave me a business card."

"That's not surprising," Hugo smiled and nodded.

"Before coming to Los Angeles, I spent a long time in Milan and New York. Later, on my mother's advice, I came to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, life in Los Angeles was not going well for me. I couldn't even afford the rent and had to rely on my mother's help. One day, I went to a bank on Hollywood Boulevard to cash out a check my mother gave me for rent, but the teller refused my request, saying the check couldn't be cashed out. This made me very angry, so I started shouting at him."

"You mean, shouting?" Hugo appeared quite surprised. Although he could sense that Charlize was a straightforward person, shouting was not something he expected from her.

Charlize chuckled and nodded, "Yes, shouting as you understand it." Hugo raised his eyebrows in surprise, but Charlize wasn't embarrassed. She continued with a smile, "I was standing in the bank lobby, angrily shouting at the teller, and became the center of attention for everyone. But at that moment, I couldn't care less because I needed that money for rent."

Hugo was about to ask how the rent issue was resolved, but Charlize continued, "Unexpectedly, the person standing behind me was a talent agent. He thought I had the potential for acting and handed me his business card."

This time, Hugo was stunned and could only say, "Hollywood!"

Charlize also laughed, "That's Hollywood." Then she took a deep breath and said, "This person named John Crosby offered me some job opportunities, but they were all...," Charlize didn't say it directly, but gestured in front of her chest, making Hugo understand. In short, it was a vase job, or even more intimate work. "So, I fired him."

Hugo nodded meaningfully and then continued, "So when Karl handed you his business card, you chose to refuse."

"Yes!" Charlize gave an affirmative answer. This was also the reason why she chose to ask Hugo for information when she found out he was an actor and had some knowledge of the industry. "I don't want to meet another John Crosby."

Hugo looked at Charlize in front of him, wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, and then exaggeratedly took a deep breath. "I think Karl must be under a lot of pressure right now." This sentence instantly made Charlize smile again.